29 Oct 2024        09:52:01 am

Biology

Diarrhoea

Tags : Diarrhoea

Topic: Health

Why in the news?

• Diarrhoea is the third leading cause of childhood mortality in India, accounting for 13% of all deaths among children under five. 
• During episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting, the crucial step is to ensure proper rehydration. With this in mind, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a Reduced Osmolarity Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), which contains the precise concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, citrate, and dextrose needed for the human body to rehydrate effectively. 
• However, when people ask for ORS at pharmacies across the country, they are often given ORSL tetra packs, which are frequently mistaken for the WHO-recommended ORS.

Source: The Hindu 

About Diarrhoea:

• It is defined as the passage of 3 or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent passage than is normal for the individual). 
• It is usually a symptom of an infection in the intestinal tract, which can be caused by a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms. 
  • Infection is spread through contaminated food or drinking-water, or from person-to-person as a result of poor hygiene.
• There are 3 clinical types of diarrhoea:
  • acute watery diarrhoea – lasts several hours or days and includes cholera
  • acute bloody diarrhoea – also called dysentery
  • persistent diarrhoea – lasts 14 days or longer.
• Key measures to prevent diarrhoea include:
  • access to safe drinking-water
  • use of improved sanitation
  • hand washing with soap
  • exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life
  • good personal and food hygiene
  • health education about how infections spread
  • rotavirus vaccination
• It can be treated with oral rehydration solution (ORS), a solution of clean water, sugar and salt. In addition, a 10–14 day supplemental treatment course of dispersible zinc tablets can prove beneficial.

Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS):

• It is a combination of water, glucose, and salts.
• It is a simple and cost-effective method of preventing dehydration.
• It is an alternative to intravenous rehydration therapy for preventing and treating dehydration from diarrhea when intravenous therapy is not available or feasible.
• Oral rehydration therapy is calculated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to have saved the lives of over 60 million persons.

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